Tag Archives: incomers

I am so disappointed and ashamed that the Conservatives, a party I have supported most of my adult life, has been dishonest, has taken a swipe at democracy. If such an action had been taken by a dictatorship somewhere else, we may have said that it was typical of someone desperate to hold onto power. That it has happened here may have reverberations, far beyond politics. For example, if I was an incomer from elsewhere in the EU, I would be seriously thinking of leaving, so blatant is the bribery. What sort of people are the British to accept it?

No-one is mentioning that the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont remains dissolved. No-one has said that Martin McGuiness resigned because Arlene Foster DUP Leader and First Minister had become embroiled in a green energy for businesses scheme, which had been far too generous and was overspent by £490 million, hardly a trifling amount.

According to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, Northern Ireland politics allows a member of DUP to be First Minister, so long as the Deputy is from Sinn Fein. When Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein resigned, the legislature could not operate and was dissolved.

For a British Prime Minister to be giving one billion pounds to the DUP, is like jumping hard onto one end of a a seesaw and hope no-one falls off. Long have we been known for our fairness and fair play. The EU politicians still make agreements with a signature and a shake of hands. EU countries like us and we like them, but we have voted to be independent again. That is all.

Let the incomers speak. They came here because we are generous with our welfare benefits and let them go back home and still pay it at British rates. We benefit from their hard work and contributions to our economy. This power-grabbing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Would I want my children to live in a place that pays bribes, without a second thought? Middle-eastern countries are not strangers to bribes. It’s just that I never thought it could happen here.

When you unbalance political power, you threaten democracy. Politicians go to work in Parliament, away from daily life, but most of them are very hardworking and do their best for us.

The payment has to be stopped. Actually I am surprised that the EU Commission has not objected to it. If this was a middle-eastern country, I am sure that our politicians would be outraged, (not that it is any of their business,) at this threat to the balance of power.

The Scots are objecting. How much did we pay again for their new seat of politics? £414 million. How much does it cost to run? Well in 2009, it was £72 million and the rest of us are footing that bill as well. And isn’t there somewhere for them to stay if they are at Westminster in the week? They have had quite enough of our taxpayers’ money.

The Welsh are forgiven their expenditure as they have succeeded in attracting Aston Martin to build its new car in Wales. Wow!

If the payment is withdrawn, I shall be happy and relieved. Mrs May is dangerously clueless about Northern Ireland’s politics and does not seem to care, just so long as the DUP votes with her.

Let us be clear that the government must be borrowing the £1 billion. Where else have they got it from? Oh, I get it. All Councils in England will have to curb spending on care of English citizens. I could ask my MP to object to the payment, but the dolt seems to have favoured status, in a safe seat. I voted Green.

Incomers should learn our culture and customs as well as our language. Some other cultures try our patience.

“hash bit, hasbit”, the woman shouted at the bus driver. She sat back down.

“Hospital?” I ventured. She stared. “Sorry, but that’s in the other direction.”

“Hasbit, husband.”

Oh, your husband, as yet invisible, is coming to meet you. She drew a large-faced watch out of her pocket and frowned. The bus was running a minute late. Had someone timed her bus route in advance and all she had to do, was to get off at a certain time?

She jumped up again and pressed the ‘stop’ button. The bus duly drew to a halt at the next stop.

“Hasbit, hashbit.” She shouted loudly at the driver.

“I can’t understand what you are saying.” Said the bus driver, reasonably.

He waited for her to resume her seat. No such luck. By this time she was distraught and the passengers sympathised with her in a strange place and unable to communicate. Then she waved a dismissive gesture in our direction. The English think this is very rude. You simply do not do it, especially when someone is trying to help you.

I found a pen and notepad, but she just made the dismissive gesture again, which I was starting to find annoying. She stared at the pen and another woman passenger said that she would probably be unable to write it down anyway.

After some legitimate passengers stopped the bus, she continued to sit down and start up every time she saw something she thought she recognised.

Eventually we arrived at a bridge. She stamped wildly, gesticulating between the bus driver and the door.

“I am not allowed to stop here, Madam.”

She started yelling and thumping the door:

“No, no, no, no.”

He let her off. The rest of us sighed in relief. I thought that the bus driver had done a good job, yet he laughed it off. The woman looked Nepalese, religion unknown, with white lace held scarf-fashion with a curtain ring. Maybe she was not Nepalese and I do them a disservice. She was the first to display anger. Usually they are unfailingly courteous, at least in English. And there is the rub.

When they chatter in their own language, a colleague pointed out to me that they could be insulting us. That had not occurred to me, but she says groups of incomers often pass her and snigger in some unfamiliar language. She works in a hospital.

So I ask David Cameron to help these workers learn English. Hospital cleaners are largely foreigners. One, a Portuguese lady, wanted me to teach her English, but she could never find time outside my working hours and hers. If this money were allocated to hospitals, they could use a meeting room at a weekend and bring the workers in by free bus. The incentive is to learn English. Perhaps when certain levels are reached, there will be a nationally-recognised certificate. If the teaching of English as a foreign language, with words for specific disciplines, hospital wards will be a safer place for staff and patients alike.

Please would incomers remember that no-one likes people talking over them. Hospital workers often chatter away and leave the patient upset and out of the conversation. Here in the UK, we do not talk at patients, we talk to them.

Muslim women are not the only ones who need to learn English. Diversion of some of the money to hospitals will benefit patients and staff. It could become the difference between a good and an outstanding hospital.